Surface warming and wetting due to methane’s long-wave radiative effects muted by short-wave absorption

Abstract Although greenhouse gases absorb primarily long-wave radiation, they also short-wave radiation. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of methane absorption, which enhances its stratospherically adjusted radiative forcing by up to ~ 15%. The corresponding climate impacts, however, been only indirectly evaluated and thus remain largely unquantified. Here we present a systematic, unambiguous analysis using one model separate simulations with without absorption. We find that absorption counteracts ~30% surface warming associated effects. An even larger impact occurs for precipitation as offsets ~60% increase relative short-wave-induced cooling is due cloud rapid adjustments, including increased low-level clouds, enhance reflection incoming decreased high-level outgoing responses, in turn, are related profile atmospheric solar heating changes temperature humidity. Despite our findings, remains potent contributor global warming, efforts reduce emissions vital keeping well below 2 °C above preindustrial values.